So it's probably not surprising that former running back Clinton Portis said on "NFL AM" last week that the Jaguars should give Maurice Jones-Drew a new contract.

"I really think he's the last every-down back left," Portis said. "I think Maurice Jones-Drew plays the game the right way, and if there was one player I had to pick, there are a lot of amazing running backs in the NFL for what they are asked to do, but Jones-Drew reminds me so much of a lot of the situations that I was in. I think he is a tough, fierce player, and I really wish they would have given him his money. I think the holdout is fair when you look at what he's doing for that organization."

Portis can understand the holdout because he was unhappy with the Denver Broncos in 2004 and wanted a new deal after rushing for 3,099 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first two years.

Mike Shanahan, then the Denver coach and now the Washington coach, felt running backs were interchangeable in his system and traded Portis to the Redskins for cornerback Champ Bailey and a second-round draft pick.

Washington gave Portis an eight-year, $50.5 million deal. Portis was a good back for the Redskins with four seasons of over 1,200 yards rushing and finishing his career with 9,923 yards, but Bailey has made 11 Pro Bowls.

Meanwhile, Jones-Drew's holdout reached its 32nd day Sunday, and fantasy football players are wondering whether to draft Jones-Drew.

One tweeted, "Hey MJD, I would greatly appreciate it if you would settle with the Jaguars and play because I need you for my fantasy football team."

Another fan tweeted, "As one of your biggest fans in real life, & also in fantasy, I'm begging you to end this holdout and get back to the Jaguars."

Preseason finale on television

The Jaguars close out their preseason Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons at EverBank Field, and the game will be televised locally. Tickets are available, but teams can avoid blackouts in the preseason by using up to 10,000 comps.

In the regular season, teams can avoid blackouts by writing a check for 34 percent of the value of the unsold non-premium tickets. The Jaguars haven't had a blackout the past two years and aren't expected to have any this year.

The only question is whether they will sell their 51,000 non-premium seats - which team president Mark Lamping thinks they can do - or write a check. Either way, the games figure to be televised locally.

Lamping said he doesn't like to talk about blackouts, and the best way to avoid the conversation is not to have them. He also doesn't want to market tickets just to avoid blackouts.

The Jaguars' TV ratings went up slightly last week despite the loss in Baltimore. They had a 15.2 rating (percentage of TV sets tuned to the game) in the New Orleans game, which translates to 106,000 households. In Baltimore, they had a 16.3 rating, or 109,000 households.

More cuts coming

The Jaguars didn't make any cuts Sunday and must drop seven players from the roster Monday to get to 75 players. They might mostly put players on IR or leave them on the physically unable to perform list.

"We can still PUP players, and we can IR guys at that time. Like [Matt Veldman], he's a good example," coach Mike Mularkey said.

Veldman is on crutches and will undergo surgery on a torn medial collateral ligament he suffered in Baltimore. Mularkey said Veldman is headed toward the IR list.

Etc.

Aaron Ross is changing his number from 20 to 31, which he wore in college and with the New York Giants. Ashton Youboty was wearing the number, but it became available when he was waived Saturday. ... Tight end Zach Miller, linebacker Daryl Smith and lineman Dan Nowak continued to work on bikes, and the rest of the injured players remained sidelined except for Courtney Greene, who returned to action. ... Cornerback Mike Harris, a sixth-round pick from Florida State, also returned after getting a day off to celebrate the birth of his 6-pound, 7-ounce daughter, Carter. The baby and mother, Sasha Quince, are doing fine. ... The Jaguars worked in pads Sunday and will have the final padded practice of the offseason Monday.

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